Khao Yai National Park
Elephants and other animals
02.03.2013
35 °C
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2013 Round the World Trip
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I had 2 things on my must do list for the few days I had in Bangkok; see the iconic buddhist temples and to go for a ride on an elephant. I had done the temples, now it was time to travel 3 hours north of Bangkok out into the countryside to see the elephants at the Khao Yai National Park.
First stop about an hour into our trip was the local market at Nakhorn Nayok. I had concerns that this was going to be a hard sell gem store and souvenir hard sell tourists are warned about but I needn't have worried. It wasn't that sort of market, instead it was filled with fresh local produce (much of which was still moving!) and they were buying our lunch.
Jack Fruit being prepared at Nakhorn Na Yok Market

Fresh Shellfish on sale at Nakhon Na Yok Market

As on other stalls the fish in these buckets moved and were very much still alive!

Yes I think that is Frogs on sale at the front!

Hot spices anyone?
After an educational and entertaining wander around the market we went to a local farm for a ride in an ox cart. It was a sedantry bone shaking ride and we had to wear thai farmer straw hats similar to those I had seen in the Siam Museum in Bangkok the previous day.
Me on the back of the Ox Cart - in my Thai Farmer's Straw Hat!

View riding an Ox Cart
We than continued on our way towards Khao Yai National Park passing through small villages on the way. Going through one village we had to wait while a local farmer unloaded his Rice Harvester into an adjacent paddy field while in another we stopped and watched a couple of races at the sports day of the local school.
A local farmer unloading a rice harvester into his paddy fields
Water Buffalo grazing beside the road

Sports Day at a local Thai Village School

The race for the finishing line!
We then reached the entrance to the Khao Yai National Park and made our way to the famous waterfall at Haew Narok. It was not as spectacular as it can be when full of water but impressive and an idyllic spot none the less.
Fence to stop the Elephants getting through on the way to the Harew Narok Waterfall

The steps down to the Waterfall

Haew Narok Waterfall

Me by the Haew Narok Waterfall

Chamelon on a tree on the way back from the Waterfall
We then moved deeper into the National Park heading towards a viewpoint over the Forest and soon began to encounter gibbon monkeys along the road.
Our first sight of a Gibbon at the side of the road

The Gibbon seemed unsure if he was happy to see us!

We then encountered a whole troop of Gibbons including some young

A view of the Forest at the Khao Yai National Park

At the viewpoint a few Gibbons took a particular interest in a pair of mopeds
However the highlight and main purpose of the day was to ride an elephant and after a stop for lunch (much of which had been bought earlier in the day by our guide while we were at Nakhorn Nayok Market) we were introduced to a large elephant called Cherry. I was sharing her with a mother and daughter from upstate New York and I initially sat on Cherry's neck, it was a long way down! We then spent three quarters of an hour lumbering through some woods, ducking branches and walking down streams; great fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The mahout gets out of the way as we set off through the forest on Cherry the Elephant

Yep, they initially put me in the driving seat on the back of the elephants head

The elephant sprayed us with a bit of water as we walked through a small stream

Me feeling cool on the back of Cherry the Elephant

Our final view of our two elephants before we began our long drive back to Bangkok
Posted by FrancisRTW 03:00 Archived in Thailand Tagged waterfalls trees animals food markets tour videos solo Comments (0)